Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Murder at the Courthouse

Murder at the Courthouse

By A.H. Gabhart

Series: The Hidden Springs Mysteries (Book 1)

Paperback, ebook, hardcover: 336 pages

Publisher: Revell (October 6, 2015)

ISBN-13: 978-0800700737

Welcome to Hidden Springspop. 732 731

Michael Keane's stressful days as a Columbus police officer are done. He's ready to relax into his new position as deputy sheriff in his sleepy hometown. Nothing ever happens in Hidden Springs, Kentucky--and that's just fine with Michael.

Nothing, that is, until a dead body is discovered on the courthouse steps. As Michael works to solve the case, it seems that every nosy resident in town has a theory. When the sheriff insists Michael check out one of these harebrained theories, his surprising discovery sends him on a bewildering search for a mysterious killer that has him questioning everything he has ever believed about life in Hidden Springs.

Bringing with her a knack for creating settings you want to visit and an uncanny ability to bring characters to life, A. H. Gabhart pens a whodunit that will keep you guessing.

My thoughts: I enjoyed getting to know Michael Keane and the quirky characters in Hidden Springs, Kentucky. The story was rather slow, easily put down, but hard to put out of my mind. Who shot someone right there on the courthouse square? This story could've happened in my town, or any of the small towns around me. I could see it so vividly. I liked Michael and the other characters. The identity of the murderer was a mystery to me until it was revealed. I never saw it coming. Readers will fall in love with this cast of characters in Hidden Springs. I can't wait til the second book in this new series. If you like cozy mysteries, you will love A. H. Gabhart's attempt. And if you are a fan of Ann Gabhart's historicals, you'll want to read this book too, as she is writing this under a different name.

A. H. Gabhart is Ann H. Gabhart, bestselling author of many novels, including Angel Sister, Small Town Girl, and Love Comes Home, and several popular Shaker novels such as The Outsider, The Believer, and The Innocent. Ann grew up in a small rural town in Kentucky much like Hidden Springs, but she is happy to report nobody was ever murdered on her hometown's courthouse steps. Ann and her husband still live on a farm near that same little town in Kentucky. Learn more at www.annhgabhart.com.